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ITV Report

11 September 2013 at 12:18pm

UK's longest established photographic studio served Derby for over 140 years

W.W. Winter in Derby Photo: ITV News Central

Walter William Winter opened his Derby photographic studio in 1867 and his successors are still working in the same studios, nearly fifteen decades later making it the longest established photography business in the UK.

Photographers working in the studio in the 19th century Credit: W.W. Winters

In the modern digital age taking a photo is as easy as clicking a button.

But back in the mid-nineteenth-century things were not quite so simple.

Images were taken on glass negatives and finishing touches were painstakingly applied by hand.

If you were fortunate enough to be in front of the camera you would be expected to sit there stock-still for minutes on end to make sure your photo came out crystal clear.

The same shot of the studio as it appears today Credit: ITV News Central

Over the decades the studio has taken photos of families from Derby as well as a regal shots of King Edward the Seventh in his prime.

King Edward was one of the the studio's customers Credit: ITV News Central

They receive numerous requests from families researching their ancestry and there's a good chance if your family are from Derby then they may well be sitting on the shelves of the studio's archives just waiting to be discovered.

W.W. Winter will be open this weekend as part of the nationwide Heritage Open Days which sees hidden historical gems from across the Midlands opening their doors to the public.